RYA Coastal Skipper / Yachtmaster Offshore Theory Course
Bookings are open! See here.
Bray Sailing Club plans to provide an RYA Coastal Skipper / Yachtmaster Offshore theory course this autumn/winter. The course will be run by David Jerrard of Seacraft, who many of you may already know. David is a highly experienced sailor and first-rate teacher with an almost mythical status within the sailing community. As a result, we are extremely fortunate to have secured his commitment to run the course for us in Bray.
The RYA Coastal Skipper / Yachtmaster Offshore shore-based course covers the theory for both the Coastal Skipper and Yachtmaster Offshore practical exams. It includes the necessary material to allow you to confidently manage your boat on extended voyages. This course places a strong emphasis on electronic position finding equipment, taking and interpreting forecasts, plotting weather systems, and weather predictions under both sail and power.
The course may be of interest of those who are considering undertaking the RYA Coastal Skipper Practical Qualifications at some point in the future or are simply interested in learning more about seamanship and modern navigation. For those of you who already possess the RYA Coastal Skipper certificate, there may be a desire to refresh your theory knowledge. The RYA Coastal Skipper Practical Qualifications are accepted by most Yacht charter companies as evidence of sufficient competency. Furthermore, many organisations who run the RYA Coastal Skipper Practical courses will issue an ICC certificate as well as the relevant RYA certificate on completion of the course, (check this before you book your practical course)*. The ICC is accepted as evidence of sufficient competency throughout Europe.
Note re: ICC: The important certificate to have for your ICC is the Irish Sailing-approved practical course for Coastal Skipper / Offshore Skipper. An RYA certificate for a Coastal Skipper / Yachtmaster Offshore Theory Course can be combined with an Irish Sailing Coastal Skipper / Offshore Skipper course.
Who Can Join?
These courses are open to anyone aged 16 or over, so it may be of interest to both junior and adult members. Furthermore, the courses are open to non-members. If you have contacts/friends in Dun Laoghaire, Poolbeg, Greystones, Arklow, Courtown or in any other club who may be interested, please feel free to let them know. They should fill out the form here and email training@braysailingclub.ie with any queries.
Course Fee: €625 includes the RYA packs and the final shore-based assessments.
Deposit (members only): €295, payable by 26th September, Balance payable by 16th October. Non-members will be invoiced for the full course amount.
Deposit is non-refundable unless there are insufficient numbers to run the course. In this case all deposits will be refunded in full.
Course Requirements: Breton plotter or parallel rules and a pair of dividers (not included in course fee).
Minimum age: 16
Format: 16 x 2.5-hour sessions, 19:30 to 22:00, 40 hours.
These will be run upstairs in the club house. Tea and coffee will be provided.
RYA rules state that candidates must attend at least 80% of the session to be eligible to pass.
This means that candidates may miss no more than 3 of the 16 sessions over the duration of the course.
Homework: Each weekly session will require around 2.5 to 3 hours of homework to be completed before the next session.
Dates:
Monday evenings from November 2026 to mid-March 2027. Dates as follows:
Mondays: Nov 2, Nov 9, Nov 16, Nov 23, Nov 30, Dec 7, Dec 14, [Christmas],
Jan 11, Jan 18, Jan 25, [St. Brigid's bank holiday], Feb 8, Feb 15, Feb 22, Mar 1, Mar 8, Mar 15.
Dates are available to download to your calendar from the .ics file below.
Downloads
Last updated 09:56 on 9 September 2026
